Is tendon stiffness correlated to the dissipation coefficient?

The assessment of Achilles tendon mechanical properties in vivo has received much attention in the literature. Many studies investigated mechanical properties by assessing tendon stiffness. Despite tendon dissipative properties being representative of a storage-recoil process, its determination has received minimal attention in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine if Achilles tendon stiffness is associated with dissipative properties. The cross-sectional area, stiffness and dissipation coefficient of the Achilles tendon were measured in 35 subjects. No significant correlation was found between stiffness and the dissipation coefficient, irrespective of stiffness normalization with cross-sectional area (P > 0.05). Thus, it appears that both stiffness and dissipative properties must be assessed to determine the storage-recoil process capacities of the Achilles tendon in order to precisely characterize changes in the tendon mechanical properties after chronic interventions or rehabilitation programs. (note)